‘National Gay Flag Football League’ sponsorship is announced by the Buffalo Bills

TND: BUFFALO, N.Y. On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills declared that they would support the National Gay Flag Football League’s (NGFFL) expansion into Buffalo, New York.

The group, whose social media handle is “Stop Hate.” Put an end to racism. Choose Love,” the statement read on Instagram. A picture of the Bills logo colored like the Progress Pride flag was included in that announcement.

The team stated in their statement, “We’re proud to support the National Gay Flag Football League with a sponsorship to launch a league in Buffalo!”

Established in 2002, the NGFFL is a non-profit sports league that comprises over 250 teams in 26 leagues throughout the United States. On its website, the league states that it “seeks to promote the positive social and athletic enjoyment of American flag football.”
“On the basis of sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political beliefs, athletic ability, physical challenge, HIV status, or gender identity,” the league states that it is inclusive of all identities and does not practice discrimination.

The league described its relationship with the Bills as “a game-changer for bringing LGBTQ+ organized football to Buffalo.” “The Buffalo Bills become part of our expanding league alongside other benevolent NFL teams such as the New England Patriots, Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, Bears, Commanders, and Seahawks.”

The NGFFL plays by standard flag football rules and incorporates aspects of the college football rulebook, such as receivers only needing one foot in bounds to make a catch. In its most recent rulebook update, the league replaced language referencing down markers as “chains” to “line-to-gain beanbag marker.”

NGFFL’s yearly championship tournament is called the Gay Bowl. A document on preparation for the Gay Bowl asks teams to determine a “philosophy” for the game based around questions, such as “will only the best players on the team get playing time?” and “is the team going to Gay Bowl to compete for a championship or just to have a good time?”

The New York Times reported in 2011 the league caps the number of heterosexual players at 20% of a team’s roster.

The National Desk requested comment from Bills media relations representatives on Wednesday, but they did not provide it.